MRP Staffing & How to View Reporting Relationships in Outlook

The Managerial Reporting Project recently added more staff, and is rapidly filling additional openings on the team. With the recent and projected growth, the team realigned its structure to operate more effectively.

Forrest Swope (Data Stewardship Lead), Mark Anderson (Decision Support Systems Lead), Scott Newman (Director of Reporting Technologies), and the Change Management Lead (to-be hired) serve on Judy DiVita’s leadership team. All other staff report up to either Judy or someone on her leadership team. The project will continue to partner closely with ITS, with leadership support from Teresa Wimmer.

These changes will be reflected in the Integrated System in September. But did you know you can see manager/direct report information right in Outlook? For example, you can see Judy DiVita’s organization by hovering-over her name in an outlook email:

Mouse-over a name to see that person’s contact card. Click the down arrow on the right expand the contact card.

Select “Organization” to see the person’s Manager, peers that share the Manager… … and scroll down to see direct reports.

HR-Finance User Group Community and Online Help

The contract with the UVa help desk vendor to provide Integrated System help and support ended in May 2015. So where can you go for help when you need it? In addition to the system toolkits where you can view training guides, and Learner Home in Employee Self-Service where you can access and review training topics, you can find help online from your colleagues and subject matter experts from the HR-Finance User Group Community! This is the online place for users of the Integrated System to find and give help and exchange ideas. Whether you are a new user or a subject matter expert (SME), this is a vibrant community where questions, answers, and discussions are welcomed and encouraged! 

To join the group:

1. Go to “My Workspace” on UVa Collab. You will authenticate through NetBadge if you don’t already have an active NetBadge session open.
2. Click “Membership” in the left column.
3. Click “Joinable Sites” near the top.
4. In the search box in the upper right, enter “HR-Finance” and click “Search”.
5. You’ll see HR-Finance User Group in the resulting Worksite list. Click “Join”. 
6. Once you have joined the group, navigate to the discussion forums from the menu. Whether you have knowledge to share, need help, or both, this resource is for you!

Online Self-Help is also available for both the Integrated System and the Student Information System. To access the online self-help, click on “Help” or “?” in the system and get a list of topics that are applicable within the window you have open. Use the search field and enter key words to narrow the list of available topics. Help topics are specific to UVa processes, procedures, and system customizations, and contain the most up-to-date information available.
Once you find the topic, click “Do It!” to open the customized help. The help topic opens in a smaller window which gives step-by-step instructions to follow as you complete the work in the system. See the instructions for accessing andusing the online help if you are using online help for the first time or if you need more detailed instructions.

Bookmark This: ResearchUVa

In case you didn’t know… 

ResearchUVa is HERE!

ResearchUVa is the result of a year-long collaboration between the Office of Sponsored Programs, ITS, Organizational Excellence, and the research community. This first phase provides a read-only portal for easy access to research data. Access is granted through Netbadge to all faculty with a research proposal or award and all administrators named as a fiscal contact on a research project in the Integrated System.Use these links to:

• Login to ResearchUVA

• Take an online tour

• See FAQs about ResearchUVA

For help, please email the ResearchUVa-help@virginia.edu listserv. 

Free Courses at Lynda.com

Did you know that Lynda.com, the catalog of more than 3,500 online courses, is now available free of charge to UVa Staff and Faculty? Courses include everything from Having Difficult Conversations, to Project Management, to Microsoft Excel. Thanks to our UVa Library colleagues for making this possible!

To log into Lynda.com:

1. Go to www.Lynda.com.
2. Click on “Log In” at the top right corner of the screen.
3. Choose “Organization Login” instead of the default “Individual Login”.
4. Using the option at the bottom where it asks for your organization’s URL, enter the UVA homepage URL (www.virginia.edu) and click “Go”. After your first time logging in, you will simply click on the bottom “Go” button. There is no need to enter a username and password on the initial login screen.
5. This will take you to NetBadge.
6. Once you log into NetBadge you will be able to create your profile and browse the site.

How to Do Walking Meetings Right

"Recent research finds that the act of walking leads to increases in creative thinking. This certainly supports the usefulness of walking meetings. Plenty of anecdotal evidence also suggests that walking meetings lead to more honest exchanges with employees and are more productive than traditional sit-down meetings."

"Those who participate in walking meetings are 5.25% more likely to report being creative at their jobs than those who do not. Additionally, the responses suggest that walking meetings support cognitive engagement, or focus, on the job. Those who participate in walking meetings are 8.5% more likely to report high levels of engagement."

Read more about the benefits of walking meetings (and how to do them right) at the Harvard Business Review.

BETWEEN TWO FILES with Mike Ludwick and Elizabeth Adams

Hello everyone. Welcome to this edition of BETWEEN TWO FILES. My name is Mike Ludwick. I’m the Associate Director for Grants and Contracts in the Office of Sponsored Programs and today I’m here with Elizabeth Adams, who has just finished up her time at Northwestern University as the Executive Director of the Office for Sponsored Research. However, on August 10th she will be joining us here at the University of Virginia to serve as the new Assistant Vice President for Research Administration directing OSP. Welcome Elizabeth and thanks for speaking with me today.

So let’s start off with an important question about your past performance. How good a soccer player were you when you were an undergraduate at Emory University? You racked up some impressive scoring records coming in at #8 for all-time scoring for an individual season with 12 goals, 6 assists;  #6 for points per game 1.76; and #4 for all-time career scoring, 31 goals, 17 assists. 
Good job Googling! I haven’t seen those figures in some time. I loved playing soccer at Emory. I learned a lot of things on the soccer field that serve me every day in business.

How do you think your experience in athletics influenced your management style?
In soccer, I tried to develop and use as many skills as I could to help the team score. I think similarly, I enjoy bringing a resourceful, problem-solving approach to a team. I try to understand the strengths of my teammates and colleagues, and use those to the advantage of the team. Of course, persistence and resilience are also important, both on the field and in the office.  

Few people say to themselves, “When I grow up I want to be a research administrator?” And yet here we are. Tell us how you got into this profession and walk us through your career to this point.

Excel Tips & Tricks: Copy. Paste. Paste Special?

You want to copy and paste your data in Excel, but do you know which ‘paste’ is right for you? This simple graphic explains the many options you have when using the ‘copy’ and ‘paste special’ features of the Excel clipboard.

Mark Your Calendar: Research Administrators Forum & CRA Study Sessions

Research Administrators Forum
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM 
 Newcomb Hall Kaleidoscope Room on the 2nd floor
Come meet Elizabeth Adams, our new AVP for Research Administration. Also, Patty Marbury will also be conducting a focus group session discussing finance training needs.


Fall 2015 Certified Research Administrator (CRA) Study Sessions
On behalf of the new Finance Outreach and Compliance team and in conjunction with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), we are pleased to announce the University of Virginia’s fall 2015 Certified Research Administrator (CRA) study session schedule.  This is the tenth year that we’ve partnered with subject matter experts from across grounds to offer these study sessions to provide help to those attempting to master the body of knowledge specified by the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC).  Although UVa subject matter experts will be leading these sessions, they are NOT targeted to address practices specific to UVa, rather the experts will speak about the requirements for obtaining and managing sponsored awards from a global perspective.  However, participants will be provided links, work aids, and course recommendations for learning more about how UVa implements these requirements through policy, procedures, and guidance.

For those interested in pursuing the CRA certification please review the specific educational and experience requirements available on the RACC website.  The exam to be administered this fall will not include questions drawn from the Uniform Guidance as the RACC has decided to phase those in gradually over the next three years.  Here is the proposed phase in schedule:

• May and November 2015 – former regulations (Circular based and using agency specific regulations predating the December 26, 2014 implementation date)
• May and November 2016 – approximately 1/3 of the relevant questions will be based on the new regulations
• May and November 2017 – approximately 2/3 of the relevant questions will be based on the new regulations
• May 2018 examination – All relevant questions will be based on the new regulations

Fall testing dates are early this year, so our kick off session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26 with weekly sessions to follow through Wednesday, November 4.

These sessions:
• include a minimum of 11 meetings focused on specific examination topics
• will be no longer than two hours (mostly scheduled from noon – 2pm)
• are limited to the participation of 12 individuals; priority will be given on a first come first served basis
• will be provided at no cost to you or your department
• will require a time commitment from you outside of the formal study sessions, particularly if you plan to take the CRA exam
• will require the support of your supervisor

Most sessions will be held in FinAdmin Conference Room E, located in Carruthers Hall.

Updates from the Comptroller's Office: APA Audit & Cardinal

APA Audit
The audit is progressing as usual, and the APA will be on-site full time in early to mid-August. A new GASB Pronouncement (GASB 68) effective for FY15 will have a significant impact on the University’s financial statements, thus requiring additional time and effort.  Our goal this year is to have the completed financial statements by the November BOV meeting.

Cardinal 
The Commonwealth’s transition to Cardinal is still going on with the February 1, 2016 “go live” date rapidly approaching. The Comptroller’s staff will begin going to individual training workshops that address specific users and modules of the new Cardinal System over the next few months. IS-EA has been busy “stamping” the new Cardinal accounts in Oracle and Accounting Services has also been involved in numerous tasks related to this project.

Updates from Outreach & Compliance: Listserv & Staff Changes

Our team has a newly created list serve which can be used to communicate information to our group, and for training &/or outreach requests: finance-outreach@virginia.edu.

There have also been a few recent changes to our group:


Patty Marbury joined the Finance Outreach & Compliance team as the Finance Training Lead. Patty has been with UVa for 15 years, first as an instructional designer with the Integrated System Project and then as the Learning and Development Manager for Systems and Technical Training with University Human Resources, in the Center for Leadership Excellence. Her background includes over 20 years of employee development experience with the federal government and at UVa. Her expertise and interests include instructional design, curriculum development, technical writing, facilitation, coaching, and leadership development. Patty has a Bachelor’s degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore.

In Finance Outreach and Compliance, our charge is to create a comprehensive training program for finance professionals at UVa, and Patty will be leading this effort. We are excited about creating a program that is engaging and provides training in the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively do the job at all levels, from entry-level to advanced. We also want the program to provide a structure that encourages career development and advancement among finance professionals. We look forward to working with you all to make this happen!


Brandon Barnhill, our Export Control analyst, left UVa July 31st to accept a position at Portland State. Although we are disappointed to lose Brandon, we wish him well in his new role, knowing this is a wonderful opportunity for him.

Updates from MRP: More New Team Members, Agile Training, & Data Governance

More New Managerial Reporting Project Team Members
Ashley Bagby is the newest Managerial Reporting Project Data Analyst. She brings 16 years of experience in finance and operations at GE, and is excited to work with a new group of sharp, dedicated people across Grounds. She was a Classics major at UVA, and is thrilled to be back!

In her spare time, Ashley enjoys knitting cool socks and cheering for UVA sports—admittedly at the same time. She once completed a pair of socks in 26 hours, which we assume is fast. Her husband, kids and cat Richard hope she can break the 24-hour mark. Welcome, Ashley!




Agile Training
Tom Kim from the Managerial Reporting Project is starting monthly Agile information sessions. The sessions will give University employees insight into the MRP methodology, and general information about the project. The first class is Wednesday August 19th at 10am—learn more and RSVP online.


Data Governance Explained
Do you know what data governance means? Do you know why the Managerial Reporting Project is working on it? Would you like a quick video explanation? Join Forrest and Tom from the MRP team as they discuss data governance within the context of a couple easy-to-understand scenarios at the University.

Eight Email Mistakes That Could Hurt Your Career

"Email mistakes can derail your career or harm your reputation, says career consultant Marcelle Yeager, writing for U.S. News & World Report, so keep emails professional by avoiding these eight common errors.

Although emails have become less formal, a seemingly innocent typo or a flippant remark can have severe consequences. Yeager cautions that people should take email within the office more seriously than email among friends and family."

To see Yeager's eight tips to avoid email taboos, check the EAB Daily Briefing.